My gastroenterologist called me the other day with one of my biopsy results. I didn’t expect the diagnosis but I also wasn’t shocked. Most people think heartburn with acid reflux. I really don’t have that issue, or at least I don’t think I do. I do have the feeling of smoking a carton of cigarettes upon waking up some mornings. Is that heartburn for me? I thought that was the MS hug. Sometimes my symptoms don’t make sense to doctors. Only my neurologist makes sense of my strange symptoms. It usually relates back to multiple sclerosis and neurons misfiring. However when the gastroenterologist called, he explained that dysphagia is a symptom of acid reflux. Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing. I’ve written about this before in many blogs. I passed a swallow evaluation yet I have had some swallow issues. Something that I’ve been very aware of because I’ve had some terrifying moments when I swallowed incorrectly.

Cause of Dysphagia a condition that affects the nervous system, such as a stroke, head injury, multiple sclerosis or dementia. cancer – such as mouth cancer or oesophageal cancer. gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – where stomach acid leaks back up into the oesophagus.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/swallowing-problems-dysphagia/

The reason why multiple sclerosis can play such a part in having acid reflux is because of damaged nerves and weakened muscles.

At the entrance to your stomach is a valve, which is a ring of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Normally, the LES closes as soon as food passes through it. If the LES doesn’t close all the way or if it opens too often, acid produced by your stomach can move up into your esophagus.

https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/what-is-acid-reflux-disease

It’s the signal from our head to that valve that can easily be disrupted with MS.

The most common cause of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) symptoms is problems with LES function. Some conditions make it harder for the LES to close tightly. In some people, the LES briefly opens even when there is no food to move into the stomach. These brief relaxations allow stomach contents to splash into the esophagus.

https://www.mymsteam.com/resources/ms-and-heartburn-causes-and-treatments#How%20MS%20Can%20Cause%20Heartburn

There you go. That explains how I have acid reflux disease. I already knew I had issues at the bottom of my digestive track. Normally I have constipation. I also have no control of the muscles in the rectum. It makes sense that my stomach has issues with the flap misfiring and leaking acid. It is all related.

I have started taking Pepcid at bedtime each night. I have a follow up video visit next week with the gastroenterologist also. I don’t know if any other biopsy came back yet but this one he didn’t want to put off until next week. I am still taking the antibiotics for treating C-diff as he suspected I might have. I have not gone to the bathroom in a week now. I might be back to Linzess again for constipation lol. We will see how things go.